Improved bread-cutter



UNITED STATESv PATENT Y OFFICE.

FREDERICK IILLHORST, OF FREEPORT, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVED BREAD-CUTTER.

' Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 46,003, dated January 24, 1865.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HLL- I-IORsT, of Freeport, in the county of Stephenson and State of Illinois, have invented a new and Improved Bread-Gutter; and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, which will enable those skilled in the art to make and use the saine, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in whichhigure 1 is a front view of my invention; Fig. 2, a vertical longitudinal section of the same, taken in the line .r 0c, Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a plan or top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

This invention relates to a new and improved device for cutting or slicing bread and it consists in a novel arrangement of a knife, knife-guide, and a feeding device, all arranged in such a manner that the bread, as the knife is operated, will be fed to the latter and cut into slices of the required thickness, the knife at the same time operating with a drawing cut.

A represents arectangular box, open at the top and at one end, and provided with a sliding bottom, B, at one side of which there is a rack, a. At the front or open end of the box A there are two semicircular plates, O (l, with a space between them to receive a knife, D, and serve as a guide for the same. The knife D is provided at one end with a handle, E, and through its opposite end'a bolt, F, passes, said bolt also passing through la curved slot, G, of c vma form, as shown clearly in Fig. 1, said slot being made in a plate, H, projecting at right angles from the box A and in line with one edge, the space between the rollers C C. The bolt F is allowed to slide freely in the slot G, and it gives as the knife is operated a proper oblique drawing-cut to it. TheJ knife D has a straight edge, and it is lowered in order to compensate for wear by having the bolt F pass through an oblong vertical slot, b, in the knife, as shown in Fig. 1. One side of the box A, the side from which the slotted plate H projects, is higher than the opposite side, and it has a horizontal recess made in it near its upper edge, to receive a slide, I, (see Fig. 2,) said slide having the upper end of alever, J, fitted in it, the lower end of the latter being pivoted to a pawl, K, which is made to engage with the rack a of the sliding bottom B by means of a spring, c. The rear end of the slide I has a spring, L, bearing against it, and the front end of said slide is provided with a short cross-head, M. A short bar, N, similar in form to the cross-head M, is on one end of the bolt F. This barN each time the knife D is drawn back, cimes in contact with the c; oss-head M, and actuates the slide I, the latter, through the medium of the lever J, actuating the pawl K, which moves the bottom B, on which the loaf of bread is placed. By this arrangement the bread is fed automatically under the knife D, and thethickness of the slices may be varied as desired by adjusting the bar N more or less outward on t-he bolt F. The spring L throws the slideI back after it has been acted upon by the bar N. To the rear of the box A there is attached an elastic rod, which serves to hold the loaf of bread in 'proper position, and there is a metal plate, O, pivoted to the plate H, which serves as a stop for the knife D and prevents the bar N being drawn back as far as it otherwise would be. By this means thinner slices may be cut than the bar N is adjusted for. This plate 0 thus acts as a stop when it is adjusted upward between pins e e at the side of the plate H.

In order to shove the bottom B back to its original position, the pawl K israised free from the rack a by Ineans of a rod, I), the upper end of which is bent outward, and passes through an oblong vertical slot in a plate, Q, which covers the side of the box in which the feed mechanism is placed.

I would remark that cleats or buttons R are attached to one side of the box A, to bear against the edge ofthe table on which the device is placed, so that the latter may be held perfectly stationary while in operation.

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The curved slot Gr in the plate H, attached to box A, in connection with the knife D, arranged in connection with aslide, lever, pawl, and rack, or their equivalents, to operate the sliding bottom B, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The adjustable plate O when applied to knife D, in connection with the cross-head M the device to operate in connection with the at the end'of the slide I, substantially zs and bar N on Jthe bolt F of the knife D, substanfor the purpose set forth. tially as and for the purpose set forth. Y

3. The guide-plates C C, iu combination FREDERIQK HU LLHORST' with the knife D and slotted plate H, for the Witnesses A. E. SHEPHERD,

purpose speeiiied.

4. The adjustable bar N on the bolt F of the GEORGE VOLF. 

